Syriac Union Party congratulates Syrian people on Akitu festival

The Syriac Union Party issued a written statement today on the occasion of the Akitu Festival, which reads:

"On the occasion of the Akitu Festival – the Syriac-Assyrian New Year 6776 – we extend our warmest congratulations and blessings to all members of our Syriac-Assyrian people and to all the Syrian people on this festival, which is considered the cradle of Syria, from which civilization, humanity, language, and science began. On the first of April, our ancient peoples celebrated a new year, symbolizing a new beginning, through grand rituals involving the government, the people, and nature.

Today, our Syriac-Assyrian-Chaldean people, having preserved many of their cultural, heritage, and linguistic values, maintain this rich heritage by celebrating this historic national festival. This is a testament to our people's authenticity, deep-rooted history, and indomitable will, as all policies of genocide, displacement, and exclusion have failed to erase them from existence.

In This holiday, we emphasize the importance of this stage in Syria's history, a period of recovery following the fall of the despotic regime and more than 14 years of revolution, war, and devastation. Despite the efforts of the Syrian transitional government to secure stability, preserve institutions, and provide services and a decent life for Syrians, many gaps and shortcomings remain. These directly impact civil peace in Syria and create animosity between different groups, most recently exemplified by the unfortunate and unacceptable events in al-Suqaylabiyah, for which the relevant authorities bear primary responsibility. Faced with these challenges, the government must adopt a new approach to governing Syria, embracing pluralism and power-sharing, and enacting laws to deter any sectarian or hate speech that divides Syrian society. Therefore, before Syria descends into further chaos, it needs a comprehensive national dialogue and the participation of all political forces in leading this transitional phase. This dialogue should aim to draft a permanent constitution that guarantees popular sovereignty, the rule of law, and public and individual freedoms. It must be impartial towards all religions and ethnicities, recognize national diversity, and enshrine it in constitutional rights, including the rights of our Syriac people, the Assyrian people.

We congratulate our people on this holiday and extend our blessings to the families of our righteous martyrs and all our comrades who contributed, worked, and sacrificed willingly for the cause of our people and for a better future for our homeland, Syria.

ANHA